Indian Defense Minister visits US amid tensions in Russia

New Delhi, Apr. 9 (EFE) .- Amid international pressure on New Delhi’s alliance with Moscow, which is mainly based on military equipment, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh is leaving for the United States today for bilateral meetings.

“I am leaving New Delhi tonight to visit the United States from April 10 to 15. I look forward to attending the fourth Indo-US Ministerial Conference in Washington,” Singh said on Twitter.

During the visit, Indian Defense Minister and Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar will meet US Secretary of State Anthony Blingen to discuss “ways to deepen the Indo-US strategic partnership”.

The Minister will also visit the headquarters of the US Command for the Indo-Pacific Region in Hawaii, a geographical area where the two countries have strengthened their alliances.

India faces pressure from several governments to take a stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to reconsider trade agreements that give oxygen to the Kremlin amid sanctions.

The Asian country is one of the world’s leading arms importers and receives 60% to 70% of its arms from Russia.

Vladimir Putin recently acknowledged its intention to increase its purchases of Russian oil to meet its domestic demand, using concessions offered by the government.

It has been pointed out that the main reason behind India’s refusal to condemn Russia’s occupation of Ukraine in the UN General Assembly is its reliance on security materials, while New Delhi defends its neutrality by arguing.

Although India has sought to diversify its defense alliances in recent years and has been able to reduce the 85% acquisitions achieved during the Cold War, allying with Israel, France and the United States, the dependency remains high. EFE

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